Methane emissions from landfills are an important source of greenhouse gases in the UK and worldwide. This paper presents the results of a number of UK studies undertaken to quantify methane emissions from landfills. The methods used have included the DIAL (Differential Absorption Lidar) technique and a tracer gas dispersion method. A method based on aerial measurements is under development. The summary results of the measurement campaigns are presented. A methane collection index (MCI) is calculated for each landfill using the ratio of the collection rate to the sum of the collection and emission rates. The values of the index in the campaigns reported here ranged from 0.28 to 0.9. A proposed approach is presented for regulating landfills using the measured MCI. This would involve selecting an achievable but challenging MCI limit based on the methane emission data alongside the requirement for an annual measurement campaign to quantify the methane emission and calculate the MCI. An MCI that falls below the limit would trigger actions to reduce the methane emissions from the landfill.
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